loeton



(No Model.)

A. LORTON.

SGUTTLE.

No. 340,722. PatentedA 27, 1886.

N FEYERS. Pholn-Lilhognpher, Wallunglnn, 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. LORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCUTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,722. dated April 27, 1886.

Application filed September 5, 1885. Serial No. 176. 249. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. LORTON, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement relating to Scuttles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is adapted to serve in dwelling-houses, hotels, manufactories, and in roofs generally. It is superior to the ordinary scuttles in the matter of safety from fire, security of fastening, and facility of operation. The scuttle is circular. I spin or stamp a metal coaming, with provisions to facilitate tight junction of a metallic roofing therewith, and with provisions for accommodating a fastening-ring. I provide a ring justwithin the coaming, and capable of turning loosely, with provisions for engaging and liberating the scuttle-cover by a turning motion. I spin or stamp a cover of metal adapted to match tightly over the coaming, and I provide a quick screw with provisions for partially turning it from below,which effects the double function of lifting the scuttle-cover and turning it on the screw-shaft as an axis, so as to easily open or close the scuttle by a'partial revolution in one direction or the other. i

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, and represent what 1 consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a central verticalsection. The strong lines show the scuttle closed; the dotted lines show the position of the cover when the scuttle is open. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan View. The succeeding figures represent portions on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line main Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, and Fig. 6 a corresponding elevation, showing the inner face. Fig. 7 is a vertical section, and Fig. 8 a corresponding elevation, showing the inner face.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they occur.

A is the roof, a a circular hole therein, and B an ordinary covering of tin plates; or, technically, terne plates, soldered together.

D is the coaming, of suffioiently stout sheetiron, steel, or other metal, certain portions being designated,where necessary, by additional marks, as D D. This coaming is spun up or otherwise produced with a broad flange, D, lying directly on the roof A. At the inner edge of this flange D is a short vertical cylinder or truncated cone constituting a riser, D extending upward to a sufficient height to defend against water on the roof. The metal extends inward from the top of D", as indicated by D It extends downward from the inner edge of D a little distance, as indicated by D.

D is an annular recess, spun or otherwise produced in the flange D.

In setting the coaming the adjacent edges of the metal covering 13 are sheared or otherwise trimmed to the. right form and bent sharply downward into this recess. A tight joint is then made by solder C. I prefer to apply enough solder to completely fill the narrow recess D*.

In the top D are slots (1, forming an equallyspaced series extending around the coaming. Three stout projections, D are riveted or otherwise permanently attached on the inner face of D E is a ring of iron or steel having vertical grooves e on its exterior corresponding to the projections D The ring is forced up into place, while these grooves correspond with the projections D \Vhen it is up it is partially turned, and is supported on the projections. Its upper edge carries hooks E. Alever, F, turning on a fixed center, engages alug, E", on the ring E, and serves as a convenient means for turning the ring to a sufficient extent in one direction or the other.

M is the scuttlecover, certain portions being designated,when necessary, by additional marks, as M. It is stamped or otherwise produced in the dome-shaped form represented. This cover matches over the coaming. The hanging lip M at its periphery fits tightly against the portion D resting when down by the extreme edge of M matching on an offset in D, or by an offset on the interior of the cover M matching on the top D of the 00aming. The interior of the cover is braced by cross-ribs M The center is equipped with holes m, which allow ventilation through apertures in a cylindrical riser, M, which are stanza:

shielded from weather by an overhanginglip, M The center of the top is closed by astout glass plate, M Light enters through the glass M, and the apertures m. The cover is spun or otherwise produced with circular corrugations M as shown, which contribute, withthe cross-ribs h to give more strength with lightness.

The invention may serve usefully by lifting off and on in the obvious manner by hand; but I have provided means for operating from below with great facility. A bracket, A, bolted or otherwise firmly fixed to the roof A, supports, by means of a collar, G, a hollow shaft, G, which extends downward to anyne sired distance, and is equipped with a turning handle, G The interior of G is equipped with six screw-th reads, g, having a quick pitch. These engage with corresponding screwthreads, h, on an inclosed vertical shaft, H, which latter is adjustably set in the socket M brazed or firmly fixed in the interior of the scuttle cover M, being confined by a pinching screw, of. A collar, H, on the shaft H engages under the part D of the coaming and prevents the cover from being lifted too high under any circumstances. The bracket A and its connections are set close to one side of the interior of the scuttle, so that they shall interfere but little with the use of the scuttle when the cover is 0H.

J is a fixed post, serving as a stop for the scuttle-c0ver in its turning movement. It is so placed and is of such thickness that one post serves to stopthe swinging motion in each direction-that-is to say, when the cover is swung into the position to close, it strikes the stop J, which thus forbids its turning any further on the shaft H as an axis, and compels it to sink vertically. \Vhen the opening motion is completed, the cover swings around until it again strikes the stop J, this time striking it on the nearly-opposite face to that which was before effective. There are brazed or otherwise strongly set in the interior of the cover M hooks M coinciding in number and position with the slots d. When the cover M is in the correct position and is lowered so that its lip M matches over the exterior of D the hooks M sink into the slots (1. These hooks stand so related to the hooks E that the partial turning of the ring E in one direction or the other by operating the lever F engages or disengages the hooks M thereby looking or unlocking the scuttle-cover.

Operation: Assuming the scuttleto be closed and the cover fastened, the operator, wishing to open it, first turns thelever F, and thereby shifts the locking-ring E so as to disengage the hooks E from the hooks M Next he grasps the handle G2 and applies his strength to turn the hollow shaft G. This, through its screwthreads 9, tends to lift and to turn the inclosed screw-threaded shaft H,rigidly attached to the scuttle-cover M. As the engagement of the lip M over the coaming forbids the latter to turn, the action of the screw causes it to rise directly upward. This motion continues until the cover is completely above the coaming, then the turning force of the hand imparts a direct turning motion to the cover. The cover M: no longer rises, but turns freely around on the shaft H as the axis. This motion is continued until the cover is turned into the position which opens nearly the whole area of the scuttle. It may remain in this position for any length of time. When it is desired to close the scuttle, the operator takes hold of the handle Gand imparts the required turning force. The first effect is to swing the entire cover around until it strikes the stop J; then the turning force, acting through the screwthreads g, aided by the gravity of the cover, causes it to sink with a direct vertical motion until its lip M is again tightly matched upon the exterior of the coaming. In this movement the hooks M have again sunk into the slots d. Now, a movement of the lever F turns the ring E and engages the hooks E with the hooks M and the scuttle is secured.

The ordinary scuttles and scuttle-covers are difficult to make tight,and are specially dangerous in case of fire in an adjoining building which throws flames across the roof. My scuttle-cover and coaming are all of incombustible material.

Ordinary scuttle-covers are frequently secured by means which are difficult to operate, and are useless until considerable delay has been experienced in removing the fastenings. My scuttle requires simply the operating of the lever F and the turning of the handle G The pinching-screw m allows the cover M to be shifted up and down relatively to the screw H and to the collar H, which limits the vertical motion. I attach importance to the fact that the coaming and also the scuttle-cover and hatch are entirely of fire-proof material.

Modifications may be made in many of the details. Parts of the invention can be used without the whole. I can dispense with the locking-hooks E and the means for operating them and secure the cover by other means. I can dispense with the pinching-screw mfland secure the shaftH unchangeably to the scuttle. I can dispense with the ventilating-apertures. I can dispense with the glass, making the whole top opaque. I can dispense with the collar H, depending on the gravity of the cover to limit the vertical movement, and insure a prompt lateral movement so soon as the cover has been sufficiently lifted. I prefer the whole, as shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The scuttle-cover M, adapted to turn on a shaft out of the center, in combination with means for raising and turning it by power applied to said shaft from below, substantially as herein specified.

2. The screw-threaded shaft H h, with its collar H, in combination with the correspondingly screw-threaded hollow shaft G g, and with a scuttle-cover and a coaming having an internal part, D, arranged to match the col D*, in combination with the roof A, having an aperture, a, and with the metal covering B I 5 and solder G, and with asuitable scuttle-cover,

M, and means for operating it, all combined and arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 20 my hand at New York city, New York, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED H. LORTON.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, LYNDoN P. SMITH. 

